TERROR AT 2:00

Terror at 2:00 - first broadcast March 7th 1971

 'Three men arrive in Virginia City posing as photographers covering a treaty signing between the Army and the Paiutes. Their camera equipment hides a Gatling gun. They plan to execute every citizen on the street at 2:00. Their leader, Mr Ganz, wants to start an Indian war, hoping that all redmen will be exterminated.'

Guest Stars: Steve Ihnat as Mr Ganz, Dabbs Greer as Sam Dawson, Iron Eyes Cody as Winnemucca, Ron Foster as Graham, James Jeter as Buck, Chubby Johnson as John Baines, Bruce Kirby as Mr Loomis, Helen Kleeb as Mrs Carruthers, Kerry MacLane as Teddy Daws, Byron Mabe as Hunter

Written and Directed by Michael Landon.

*****

This was a new episode for me, one of Michael's dramatic scripts with a theme of racism, a deranged killer, a peace treaty and the Cartwrights all intermingled.

In Virginia City at 2:00 pm a peace treaty between the White people, represented by army generals, and Chief Winnemucca plus high ranking Paiutes, is to be signed. Virginia City is putting on a good show for the occasion.

Ganz, very well played by Steve Ihnat, is a deranged racist who killed his own son for marrying a Paiute. With two accomplices he thinks nothing of killing two army soldiers who were transporting a Gatling gun. The three men, pretending to be photographers, bring the Gatling gun into Virginia City and hire a hotel room overlooking the podium for the treaty. Ganz plans to use the Gatling gun, capable of firing 600 rounds a minute, to kill everyone in sight – Indians and White people alike.

This drama is interspersed with the vibrancy of the celebrations in Virginia City and some delightful comedy between Hoss and Clem Foster (now sporting a very dashing moustache LOL!) as each vies to have his picture taken. Also interspersed is Ben riding with Winnemucca (played by Iron Eyes Cody) and his chieftains towards Virginia City.

The astute Sam Dawson, senior reporter on the Territorial Enterprise, (good performance from Dabbs Greer) soon realises that the photographers have no film in their cameras and is captured by Gantz and his cohorts when he calls at their room. Hoss also arrives looking for Dawson and is captured too. He is horrified to learn of Gantz's insane, murderous intentions and appalled at the racism.

The ending is really dramatic and Michael's direction gives the viewer edge-of-the-seat suspense. Clem and Joe, en route to search for Hoss, are captured temporarily by one of Gantz's cohorts and taken to the back door of the hotel. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Joe makes a lightning move and slams the door into their captor, downing him and grabbing his gun! Joe then rushes to Gantz's hotel room where the madman turns the Gatling gun towards Joe and all around the hotel room. The noise, rapidity of 360 degrees firing and mayhem are stunning action and Joe eventually kills Gantz. Hoss nods his support to Joe as that being the only course of action.

In a super twist at the end Joe picks up Gantz's watch. The Paiute party were thankfully 5 minutes late so Joe got there in time and Gantz never had a chance to carry out his plan.

Watch for Michael's wonderful camera angles – an inverted Clem in the camera lens to show how images are actually taken, an intense close-up of Gantz's eye as he recalls killing his White son and Paiute daughter-in-law, low camera angles which enhance the dignity of both Ben and the Paiutes and very fast camera work to follow the speeding Joe.

While the focus is chiefly on the evil Gantz, the importance of such a treaty is also portrayed. Ben has a small diplomatic role, Joe a smallish role as the rescuer and Hoss has the main Cartrwight role by being in the thick of things in Virginia City during the
celebrations.

Importantly both Lorne and Dan look very interested and involved in the story and I'm sure that was not just because their friend Michael wrote and directed it but because it is a really good and thoughtful story line. A good Bonanza adventure with lots of thoroughly interesting twists and turns.